Muppets' Wizard of Oz cast list

Brain has been a big part of this production (not only as an executive producer, but as as a performer). Brian was on the set a lot working on the film. Brain performed Sal, Scooter, Janice, and some other puppet work too. He's still around and working his characters.

Kevin on the other hand had a conflict with the Sesame Street shooting schedule. Being Kevin is behind Elmo, he was needed on the set a lot to do shooting for Sesame Steet (and Elmo's World), whereas the other puppeteers that overlap into The Muppets from Sesame Street (like Steve and Eric) could get away to shot The Muppet Wizard of Oz. Kevin could not get to the set to shot the film. Kevin did loop his character's lines (so it's still his voice), but he was not able to get to the set to work the puppets. He is not handing off his characters of phasing them out, but in this case he just could not physiclly do the puppeteering needed. This has happened on a lot of the muppet productions with diffrent muppeteers (having someone else work the puppet and looping lines later due to scheduling/time conflicts and restraints). Kevin is still around and working his charactes, but this production and Sesame Street had conflicts in shooting times which could not be changed.

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Thanks for making that clear. I think that is waht Frank OZ and Jerry Nealson did for a long time, just looped the voice for there characters. I hope The New Sam gets his vice down soon.

Brain has been a big part of this production (not only as an executive producer, but as as a performer). Brian was on the set a lot working on the film. Brain performed Sal, Scooter, Janice, and some other puppet work too. He's still around and working his characters.

Kevin on the other hand had a conflict with the Sesame Street shooting schedule. Being Kevin is behind Elmo, he was needed on the set a lot to do shooting for Sesame Steet (and Elmo's World), whereas the other puppeteers that overlap into The Muppets from Sesame Street (like Steve and Eric) could get away to shot The Muppet Wizard of Oz. Kevin could not get to the set to shot the film. Kevin did loop his character's lines (so it's still his voice), but he was not able to get to the set to work the puppets. He is not handing off his characters of phasing them out, but in this case he just could not physiclly do the puppeteering needed. This has happened on a lot of the muppet productions with diffrent muppeteers (having someone else work the puppet and looping lines later due to scheduling/time conflicts and restraints). Kevin is still around and working his charactes, but this production and Sesame Street had conflicts in shooting times which could not be changed.

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Actually, I think it was reported that Brian wasn't too involved with the movie because he's directing something else, so he will be looping many of his lines later. Kevin, of course, had his Sesame Street time conflict like you said.

Yes as it's always been the Muppet performers perform more then one character either it be a main/minor or new or random character. So, not that it was never done but but Miss Piggy and Fozzie don't converse that much like wise with Steve as Kermit and Rizzo. Rizzo has really taken a back seat after MFS. Steve is busy with Kermit and he should be, but it's nice to have rizzo get a few lines like in IAVMMCM.

It's funny about Clifford though, I hope Kevin Clash is looping his voice for him same goes Brian Henson's Sal the Monkey. It's understandable that Janice's and Scooters voices change devloping them back to there roots as part of the Muppet gang again in new things.

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But it still annoys me when a new character (such as this Ujene person...huh?) from VMC who's tuba was squashed get lines and otehr characters don't....

But not too clean, not OTT let's all bake apple pie for grandmama clean...just, clean.

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Well i think we can do with out the childish act of nose picking, but yeah I mean not to cealn. I mean we sill want it to be Muppety Fun for all ages. Not to adult, or to much poty humore eather, just like the Good Old Days on the Muppet Show.....that kind of fun.

The cast list says: "These characters are currently "omitted" from speaking roles in the script", and Bobo the Bear and on the list. Now Bobo had a huge role in Muppets Tonight and an even bigger role in Muppets from Space; yet in IAVMMCM (where he had a very small role) and now Muppets Wizard of Oz (where he does not even speak) he seems to have shrunken away. I know Bill is still around doing Muppets, so is there a reason why Bobo has not taken off since Muppets from Space (I mean next to Gonzo and Rizzo, he had the next biggest part)? Why has Bobo droped off the face of the earth, it seems like he's going to join Beauregard in that group of characters people love but for some reason were left behind by their performer and/or the Muppet writers?

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though I'd address this. Sometimes it's just a question of how to fit a particular character in. I mean sometimes it's just not easy to fit all of these great characers into these shows and some end up with smaller roles than others. Look at some of the major Muppet films. In the first 3 films Sam is barely in any of them. he has a bit part at the beginning of TMM and two small lines in GMC and then the singing line ins MTM. Beauregard, Bunsen and Beaker aren't even in MTM. There are a ton of characters missing from MTI and MCC. And in MFS there are really only about 7 or 8 characters who have big parts (Gonzo, Rizzo, Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy, Pepe, Bunsen, Beaker, Bobo and maybe Clifford) but the others are just background fodder. I think the great things about both of the first two Muppet flms is how well everyone is slipped in there and used. I think they really are the only two films ot do that and maybe MCC does it a little. So a lot of the time its just a question of scripting and finding a way to use a character.

I think you are right, in the first few films I think it was a little bit more about taking the characters we loved on the successful Muppet Show and implamenting them in to the films. But with the end of the Muppet Show they were not always in the face of the public. So they were more choosey about what characters we the audience would recoganize and connect with, leaving others to be in the background. I liked the fact that Sam had such a big part in MTI, but they introduced a lot of new characters in that film with the Pirates, and it looks like they are trying to use them again in OZ.

But it still annoys me when a new character (such as this Ujene person...huh?) from VMC who's tuba was squashed get lines and otehr characters don't....

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Oh i defenatly agree, there was no real need for Howard the Pig or those ugly puppet kids looking at toys in the window of the begining of the movie, the penguins and rats were great though! I think at least most of the characters got one form of line in the older Muppet movies, it's nice that way, like in TMTM Sam, Crazy Harry, Pops and the muppet news man get a each get a short "song" line at the end. not always but most of the time. i have heard that Bunsen and Beaker had a deleted secne in which they try helping Animal play the drums better in the post card part when the EM is playing pokka. or at least it was featured in a book version of the flim. I remember Smig saying so a long long long long long on the old fourm.

Wait, back to my questian, Why were their only humans/rats/and penguins in that opening scene? Is it saying that Muppet cretures can no longer live in the real world, but must stay firmly insie the Muppet theatre?

You know sometimes like make a childrens book out of movies, sometimes they are a book on tape and such, i have Gremlins and who framed Roger Rabbit books from when i was a kid. I don't know much about the Muppets take Madhattan one, other then just hearing about it.

I don't think in IAVMMCM if was saying "that Muppet cretures can no longer live in the real world, but must stay firmly inside the Muppet theatre". I'm just asking, i'm not sure what you mean by this? i'm not trying to argue with you but just trying to better understand what your saying.

It was just an openiing to the movie showing Muppets and and real humans living and interacting in the real world. "The Muppets" Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie type and such were inside the theater because that's where the story takes place, we all know all the details and such of the story line in general, you know what I mean?

I just didn't like the random "new" non muppety human type puppets in that sence, i would have rather had muppety pigs, chickens, maybe even some older background chracters useds instead. the rats and pengiuns were great though. I can understand the main chracters all being in the muppet theater, and you have to remember that much of this movie is show in avents that had happend before, so at the point of the opening movie, Fozzie had already lost the money and Kermit had just got done talking to miss bittermen about him loosing the theater.

But back to Oz, sorry to get off topic, I happy to see some MTI pirates come back as villains in this movie, i wasn't at first, but some of them look more evil muppety then if they had just used Lew Zealand, or Bobo as "bad guys" it's nice to have a mix, as you can see Sweetums and Crazy Harry in that Oz teaser ad as villians. I wonder if they will have Sweetums become good like how he did in MTI?;-) It would be nice if Polly Lobster and Clueless Morgan were villians as they are more rounded Muppet chracters who only got one shot in MTI but they did have UK skits on MT (not that i have seen them) it would just be cool. But Kevin Clash not being present doesn't help and i'm sure Bill is busy will Pepe and his other chracters.

Oh, sorry. Let me explain myself. Every Muppet on the street was human, except for one or two rats and a dozen penguins. It struck me as odd, why were there just human muppets? In the old Muppet films we'd have had a monster (Doglion, maybe) a cow (always a cow) some chickens (definatly) and some AM muppets. But, in this project they do not? I have to ask myself, "Why?"

(Also, post card what? When were the EM playing polka? Are you talking about MTM or VMC?)

lol! I think we both got each other mixed up! I was refering to the EM sence in TMTM when kermit is reading his letter from Dr. Teeth and the band and it shows them playing polka. from what i hear, that seen featured Bunsen and Beaker with an invention to help animal play the drums correctly acording to the polka music. I'm sure somthing when crazy wrong in that setting.;-) I don't know if the sence was actualy filmed and cut from the movie or what, i just heard from a relylabe fan that it was mentioned in a TMTM story book when the movie came out. In IAVMMCM the EM band river dances;-)

but yeah, back to IAVMMCM, I agree. i would have liked to see dogs, monsters, and pigs and stuff outside in the opening sence with the only humans being real humans and not ugly human puppets, that are non muppety, and have no personality....oh and they probaly won't even been seen again, or at least i hope!;-)